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The Taiwanese military is investigating the cause of the explosion, while confirming that the annual drill was completed and its results will be reviewed. In response to the incident, the Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately comment when contacted.
### Why It Matters
China’s Communist Party claims sovereignty over Taiwan, despite never having governed the island. The party has vowed to use force for reunification if necessary. In 2022, China launched ballistic missiles into waters around Taiwan during a large-scale military exercise.
Facing this threat, Taiwan has acquired Patriot missiles and other weapons from the United States. Washington is legally required to provide defensive arms to Taiwan, despite not having formal diplomatic relations since 1979.
The Patriot air defense system, recently tested in combat in the Middle East, can intercept aerial threats including tactical ballistic missiles. Taiwan operates nine Patriot batteries, each with up to eight launchers.
### What Happened
Video footage from Facebook shows that during a firing exercise in southern Taiwan on August 20, 2025, a PAC-2 missile exploded shortly after launch. A second missile was fired without incident. This marks the second midair explosion of a PAC-2 missile since 2023.
According to the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, the ground-launched PAC-2 has a range of over 60 miles and detonates its high-explosive warhead near targets to destroy them.
### What It Means
The incident reflects what Chinese professor Zheng Jian described as the “outdated nature” of U.S.-supplied weapons and the Taiwanese military’s limited maintenance capacity. The missile launch occurred ahead of a highly anticipated Chinese military parade on September 3, which will feature never-before-seen weapons.
### What People Are Saying
Raytheon claims that Patriot is one of the world’s most widely adopted air and missile defense systems, operated in 19 countries, including Ukraine. As of May 29, the system has been used in over 250 combat engagements.
### Next Steps
It remains to be seen whether Taiwan will order additional Patriot firing units from the U.S., given China’s growing missile capabilities and the Trump administration’s push for allies and partners to boost defense spending.
